


Laide Bete

by Ursula



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Angst, Domestic Discipline, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-29
Updated: 2006-01-29
Packaged: 2019-02-05 14:37:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12796575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursula/pseuds/Ursula
Summary: Mulder and Skinner find refuge with a mysterious cloaked man





	Laide Bete

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

  
Author's notes: From a French fairy tale, laide bete was the name of the beast in Beauty and the Beast  


* * *

Laidebete

 

 

(Laidebete means ill-made beast, the name used in one version of Beauty and the Beast)

 

 

Deep in the Washington State rain forest, the two men slumped together onto a moss-laden log. Panting, they held onto each other for comfort and support, remaining alert despite their weariness.

 

"Better have some jerky," Walter said.

 

"Can't," Mulder replied. Hardship had removed all softness from his face and body. Minute changes as his hybrid nature had dominated him had refined his features beyond handsome to beautiful. For a moment, his long lashes covered his hazel eyes. He rested his face against Walter's broad shoulders.

 

Walter was as far from alien hybrid as anyone could be. He was entirely human, salt of the earth, but he also was forged by the years of running into lean perfection. Even his unshaven cheeks looked good on him, rugged and almost hyper-masculine.

 

The rain was pervasive; it formed a steady sheet as if they were underwater. The damp had penetrated their clothing and even waterproof matches could not start a fire with this degree of wetness.

 

A Steller's Blue Jay cackled nearby and then a prolonged scrabbling indicated some small life was stirring from a fear induced freeze to escape them.

 

"Come on, it's raining harder. We have to find some shelter. There's supposed to be a ghost town near here. We can stay there," Walter said.

 

Wearily, Mulder struggled to his feet and trudged along with his last remaining friend.

 

OooOooO

 

The ghost town consisted of a few collapsed shells except for the building that had been the hotel. That stood intact, recently had been painted, and looked cheerful and welcoming.

 

"It could be a trap," Mulder said, his body racked with a terrible fit of coughing.

 

"Maybe," replied Walter. He felt Mulder's forehead and said, "We'll take the chance. There's something in the forest here that keeps the aliens away. If there are people here, we'll just have to hope they are friendly.

 

Knocking on the sturdy door, Walter tried to put a very human and reliable expression on his face.

 

The door opened. A large man with terrible scars stared at them. He didn't speak, but a disembodied voice said, "I've scanned you and you are human. Your companion is contaminated, but the human dominates. You may come into my home and rest. My servant's name is Dimitri. He 

can not speak, but he is kind and caring."

 

Another burst of coughing from Mulder resolved Walter's doubts. Both of them needed food, rest, and a dry place to sleep. They would just have to hope for the best.

 

Dimitri shambled off after taking their sodden coats. He ignored Mulder's attempts to speak to him in sign language, shaking his head.

 

"There is soup on the stove," said their ghostly host.

 

Certainly enough, there was a pot of chicken soup on the stovetop. The oven was still warm and held a tray of biscuits. A coffeepot held fragrant brew and a hot and cold water system stood in a corner.

 

The voice said, "The Culligan man stopped delivering for some reason, but I have an artesian spring on tap and purify it myself. Please sit and have a good meal. I have already eaten."

 

Addressing the empty air, Walter said, "Why don't you join us anyway? We could use some human company."

 

An oddly familiar laugh floated through the air. "I think not. Perhaps in good time, but a cautious man keeps his distance in these days."

 

True enough, Walter could understand that. 

 

Ravenous, Walter fell on a bowl of soup like a starving wolf. He barely had attention to spare to check and see that Mulder was eating.

 

Once replete, Walter followed the voice to a well-appointed bathroom. Mulder was brought to another one, his usual distrust shed with the filthy clothing he left in his path.

 

By the time that Walter was clean and shaved, he almost could have wept for the pleasure. He would have preferred that Mulder sleep with him, but he didn't want to offend their unseen host. 

 

Sinking naked into the huge featherbed, Walter groaned with appreciation and almost immediately fell asleep. If this were a trap, he would die happily.

 

OooOooO

 

"Alex, Alex," wafted from the hall as Walter got up to use the bathroom. He cringed from Mulder's voice, leaned against the wall, his forehead knotted in furrows of pain.

 

How could Walter have known? Mulder never said anything. Hell, he hadn't even looked at the ghastly corpse when Walter had killed his ex-lover. Of course, Mulder had said since then that there was no way that the body was really that of Alex. It was all delusion as far as Walter could figure. Alex Krycek had eventually pushed one button too many. He didn't believe Mulder that Krycek had truly been on their side. It was amazing what sex and deluded love can persuade a man to believe.

 

Still it hurt to stand longing for a human touch, for a lover, for the embrace of a man he had always kept at a distance. It was even more painful to hear the man cry out for someone whom he had killed.

 

The murmurs grew more fervent as if Mulder was lost in a passionate dream. Walter gritted his teeth and walked away to jerk off in the privacy of the shower.

 

OooOooO

 

In the morning, Walter woke before any appearance of Mulder. He went to the kitchen where a rattling of pots indicated their host was awake. As soon as he entered, Dimitri and a woman also with terrible scars stood and left, leaving only a tall figure, bundled in concealing robes. Even the eyes were covered by a transparent veil, which obscured any detail.

 

The man, as Walter was reasonably sure he was male, said, "I meant to have breakfast on the table before you woke. I apologize. I slept lightly, unused to having guests. Thus I overslept this morning."

 

"That's all right. We don't want to be a burden. How can I help?" Walter said, trying to make out any detail behind the bundle of clothing.

 

"There's bread. It's freshly baked from yesterday. Cut some for toast, please," Walter's host said. His voice seemed mechanical as if issued from an artificial source.

 

As the veiled figure crossed near Walter, an enticing scent of jasmine wafted from the robes. He sniffed, almost aroused at the hint. "Why do you wear this costume? Is it your religion?"

 

"My religion?" the man mused. He laughed, this sound husky and pleasant as if this was real where the rest of his speech was distorted. "I'm afraid God long has abandoned me. No, I am a victim of one of the alien experiments. I survived but I'm too hideous to see the light of day."

 

"It wouldn't bother me," Walter said. "Don't inconvenience yourself for my sake or Mulder's. We were law enforcement and I was a soldier as well. We've seen things that would turn another person's hair white."

 

"It's not just for your sake," the man murmured. "I once was beautiful. I do not care to see men flinch from me."

 

"You're a man, correct?" Walter questioned. It was rude, but he wanted to be sure.

 

"Yes, I was a man. For man is frail," the host said.

 

Despite the robes, the man moved efficiently. He took a golden omelet from the oven and grated cheese for the top.

 

"That smells heavenly," Mulder said, a rasp showing that the cold wasn't entirely gone. He leaned in the doorway, untidy, hair in rumpled splendor, eyes heavy as if he was ready to return to bed. He had showered and, like Walter, he was dressed in clothing that fit reasonably well, denim jeans and an amber colored shirt that was mostly unbuttoned. 

 

"Good," the host said.

 

"I'm Walter Skinner and my companion is Fox Mulder," Walter said belatedly. He waited for a reply.

 

 

"My name is Laidebete," their host said. "Feel free to eat as much as you please. I must by necessity eat alone."

 

OooOooO

 

"What do you make of all this?" Walter said as he helped himself to a third plate of food.

 

"I don't know, but none of my extra senses seem to be pinging," Mulder said. He coughed again, but his chest cold seemed to be easing already. "He brought me some medicine last night. After which, I had a wonderful dream."

 

Holding back from comment, Walter said, "I think we should stay awhile and get our strength back. I don't entirely trust our host, but we are at the end of our rope. I think we take the chance, Mulder."

 

"I don't have a problem with that," Mulder said.

 

OooOooO

 

Over the next few days, the two men spoke less and less of leaving. Laidebete's haven had everything that one could wish. He had a hen house full of laying hens, a small herd of milk cows, a large garden, and had pruned an ancient orchard back to production. His current project was to try to persuade grapevines to grow in the damp climate. He had built a greenhouse, but the vines still seemed unable to produce more than a few sour grapes.

 

Laidebete's companions, Dimitri and Hester, were distrustful of Walter and Mulder. They left the area as soon as either entered. Hester was capable of speech, but for any effort she made to communicate, she may as well as have been mute. She looked as if she had been beautiful at one time, but Walter recognized the signs of alien mutilation. He supposed she had her reasons for being distrustful

 

A generator ran off wind and water with a store of gasoline as emergency back up. It was a large house for three people, but the three who inhabited it seemed to prefer to be busy. Naturally, Walter and Mulder pitched in to help.

 

In time, Hester and Dimitri eased their hostility, but Hester would never answer any question about the head of the house.

 

As for Laidebete, he seemed to be a man who could not stand to meditate on his memories. He never spoke of his past although he was perfectly willing to discuss everything from UFO theory to great literature.

 

As time went by, there seemed no question of leaving. In fact, Mulder was talking about gathering a few other immune humans to form a colony in the enclave. Laidebete seemed willing to let the impetuous and brilliant man take the lead in this. He agreed that the house could support additional refuges from the chaos outside caused by the aliens, the measures that desperate humans had taken to fight them, and the plagues released by both sides.

 

OooOooO

 

Meanwhile, Walter became inordinately fond of the strange, feral creature that sheltered them. They played chess together and discovered a common love of music. Laidebete played the guitar just as Walter did. He had a case full of beautiful instruments and allowed Walter to try them all until he settled on a beautiful acoustic Martin.

 

As strength came back to the men, Walter was too aware of Mulder's presence. He knew it was a possibility that Mulder was oblivious to his hints. Still, he doubted that. Walter had seen the appreciative looks from his friend when they worked in the garden shirtless. However, Mulder still shied away from anything more than a friend's touch.

 

Walter thought it was Krycek, the damn ghost of the one armed bastard coming between them. Wasn't it enough that the scene played and replayed in his head, joining his plentiful store of nightmares, embedded in the scars of his soul from Vietnam on?

 

Each night, Walter went to his lonely bed unsatisfied. His hand was hardly enough. There was something different about human contact that made another man jerking you off different from masturbation.

 

It didn't help to smell the scent of jasmine in the hall and to hear Mulder's vocal calls at night as if his Alex truly lay with him in lustful embrace.

 

OooOooO

 

As Walter prepared to steal some measure of comfort in his dreams and from his hand, his eyes shot open in the total darkness. He smelled jasmine in the air and said, "Laidebete?"

 

"Yes, I thought...well, in the dark, you would not see that I was hideous. Let me comfort you. Let me make you feel good," Laidebete offered.

 

"I can't do that," Walter said. 

 

A liquid sigh replied. The weight that had settled on his bed lifted away. "I understand, knowing how ugly I am, you are repulsed."

 

That was terrible. Walter weighed the options and reached out to grab at his new friend. He was surprised to feel smooth flesh, not the rough cloth of his concealing robes. He ran his hand higher and took a deep breath, smelling the evocative smell of jasmine.

 

"If I can give you pleasure back," Walter said.

 

"My pleasure will be in receiving you. My mouth, my cock, and my ass are untouched, but the rest of me is scarred and sensitive," Laidebete said. "Let me please you and take me, take me as hard as you will, but do not touch my poor face nor any other part of me other than those I have mentioned."

 

"All right, all right," Walter said, not understanding how he could be so aroused.

 

The scent of jasmine mixed with other sweet and bitter perfumes followed each movement in the darkness. The cloudy skies wrapped the former hotel in absolute blackness. Walter could not see any hint of this strange lover.

 

Walter felt hair trail across his belly. It was soft, lush, a waterfall of silk. Lips caressed his stomach before following the verdant v-shaped tangle of hair to his rampant cock.

 

Stifling a moan as his cock was almost entirely swallowed into the damp heat of an eager mouth, Walter started to reach to caress his partner, but remembered what Laidebete had said and held back.

 

The skill and tenderness brought Walter swiftly to full arousal. He briefly touched Laidebete's hips to lay him on the bed, noting that his fingers encountered no scars or deformity. The legs, which welcomed Walter, were strong, supple, and smooth. He had to wonder if 

Laidebete suffered from some madness to believe himself scarred where he was as perfect as a silken sheet.

 

Walter felt something so intense as to be near love as he broke two, nearly three years, of enforced solitary pleasures with this exotic creature. He held back, wanting to give Laidebete pleasure, moving his thrusts around until he found the angle that made this lover gasp and moan for more. His hand touched Laidebete's cock and stroked it in time to his movements until they came, if not together, as close as might be for a first time.

 

To Walter's distress, Laidebete rose as soon as he caught his breath. Walter said, "No, stay and keep me company. I promise I won't touch you. Just stay."

 

"You would not like what you saw with the morning light," Laidebete said. He said, "You are a wonderful lover, Walter Skinner. May I come to your bed again?"

 

"Every night," Walter said. He hoped that Laidebete would believe him and do just that.

 

"As you will," Laidebete said.

 

It was not until Laidebete was gone that Walter realized that the artificial voice was gone. He had heard Laidebete's natural voice, full as fiery and imbued with sex as a torch singer. He frowned to himself, wondering why his mysterious host used a mechanical voice when his real voice was obviously not affected by the alien ravages.

 

OooOooO

 

Saying nothing to Mulder of his visitor, Walter endeavored to act as if nothing had happened. Still as they rebuilt the chicken house and checked the wire that protected the fowl, he could not keep from peering at Laidebete, wondering if he could catch a glimpse of his graceful lover of the night before.

 

That night as Walter listened to Mulder's lust-harsh voice in his evening pleasure dreams, he was content to wait, a smile on his face as he imagined Laidebete would come to him.

 

Walter wasn't disappointed. He still could not see his lover, but he smelled the jasmine and soon felt the knowing touch on his body. As much as he begged however, Laidebete would not let him touch more 

than those few areas necessary for pleasure. He left Walter's lips longing for a kiss.

 

And so, night after night, Walter fell more in love with his mysterious visitor as day-by-day, veiled Laidebete became a better friend.

 

OooOooO

 

It was not until Walter walked into the generator house and found Mulder on his knees, clutching at Laidebete's robes that he realized that Mulder's sultry cries were not the sounds of him in solitary imaginings of his lost lover. "Let me see you once in daylight," Mulder pleaded. "I love you and it would not matter to me how many scars the aliens had left on you. I just want to see you and have you spend the night with me."

 

"Laidebete?" Walter gasped. "I thought you were mine!"

 

Mulder let Laidebete go, stumbled back as surprised as Walter.

 

OooOooO

 

In shock, Walter fled the scene and spent the rest of the day, walking in the woods to think this through.

 

At last, Walter decided that he had no cause for jealousy. Laidebete had made no promises. They had not spoken of love. Perhaps, Laidebete offered his body as easily as he had opened his home.

 

Swiftly, gathering salmon berries to cover his absence, Walter walked back to what had become his home. He bumped into Mulder looking for him.

 

Mulder said, "I didn't know, Walter. I mean, about you and Laidebete. Did you want me to tell him that I don't want him to sleep with me anymore?"

 

The temptation was there to say 'yes', but Walter hesitated. He asked, "How do you feel about him?"

 

Mulder's eyes dropped downward and he said, "I don't know. He came to me when I was dreaming about someone else."

 

"About Krycek," Walter said with a frown.

 

"Yeah, okay, about Alex," Mulder agreed, holding up his hands as if to ward off an attack.

 

"I'm sorry," Walter said, "It was as if I wasn't myself. The first shot was righteous, but the rest..."

 

"It's done," Mulder said, "Besides, I tell you, that was not Alex."

 

Softly now, Walter said, "Yes, I know you think it wasn't."

 

"If you don't mind sharing Laidebete," Mulder said hopefully.

 

"That's how he seems to want it," Walter said. He held out his hand to Mulder and it was clasped.

 

"Maybe we should tell him that we wouldn't mind being together?" Mulder suggested, a quizzical look in his eyes.

 

"What?" Walter said. He said, "I'm not sure I'm ready for that. Let's just see what happens."

 

OooOooO

 

Knowing the truth made it easier, Walter thought. He let himself listen to what he knew now was the sound of Mulder and Laidebete making love. It became tempting foreplay for him and two nights after his discovery, he told Laidebete what he knew. He asked him to come to him straight from Mulder's bed without bathing before. 

 

Soft laughter greeted that and Laidebete said, "You have a kinky side, Walter."

 

"I'm sorry," Walter apologized. "I had no right to ask."

 

"No, it's okay," Laidebete said. "So do I and you know Mulder does."

 

So the next night, Laidebete came with his own fragrance mingled with Mulder's. It enflamed Walter to the point that he could hardly be satisfied and the night was filled with their lovemaking.

 

OooOooO

 

The next day as Mulder and Walter worked at weeding the new carrots, their talk drifted to the lover they shared. Mulder ate the scrap of baby carrot that crowded the bed and said, "I think we should just sneak up on him when he is asleep or in the shower and show him that we aren't bothered by his scars."

 

"Great plan," Walter said, "that will make him trust us."

 

But still...

 

OooOooO

 

As night and day passed, friend by day, lover by night, Laidebete filled up the empty places. Mulder and Walter also drew even closer, exchanging kisses and touches that Laidebete gave neither of them, but neither concluding the dance of temptation. It didn't seem right that they would do that without the third member of their triangle.

 

Yet when they finally coaxed Laidebete into coming to them both at the same time, it was the same as with them separately. He denied their kisses and their touch, giving them satisfaction without letting them show him how he felt.

 

It was a very painful thing. Walter had Mulder and that was a wonderful dream, but he could not let go of Laidebete. He found his heart had been given to the veiled creature of dreams as much as to Mulder, long the object of his desire as Walter was that of Mulder's lustful yearnings.

 

Finally, Walter said, "Mulder, this could be disaster, but I'm going crazy with this all. Let's do it. After Laidebete goes to his bed, we'll get candles and creep into his room. We'll not wake him and if either of us finds we would wince to see him; we'll pretend it didn't happen."

 

That night the two waited for an hour to pass until they were sure that Laidebete to fall asleep. He had worked exceptionally hard and their lovemaking was strenuous so they expected that he would be sound asleep.

 

Still naked, the two men tiptoed into the room and held their candles aloft, prepared to see horrors worse than the scars left on poor Dimitri and Hester.

 

Instead, there on the pillow as if on a display for jewels, lovely brown hair spread around the linen. Velvet lashes whispered in dreams, weighing down dusky lids. A sweet perfect mouth, as pink as a rosebud, opened a little as if for their kiss.

 

Instantly, Mulder cried out, "Alex? I knew he was alive!"

 

Walter was so stricken with his discovery that he dropped the candle on his foot and cried out.

 

Instantly, the sleeper awoke and saw them staring at him. He cried out in horror and flew the bedroom with both men in pursuit. 

 

Although Walter and Mulder had explored, Laidebete was a master of all the places to hide in the ghost town.

 

As they searched their anger ebbed and turned to worry. The two men went back to Laidebete's home to wake Hester and Dimitri.

 

"I told him," remarked Hester. "He should have sent you away. I knew no good what come of it. Your kind doesn't forgive."

 

"I forgave him long ago," said Mulder.

 

"I can forgive him," said Walter. "if we can find him."

 

OooOooO

 

With four of them searching, they should have found even a well hidden Laidebete or Alex as he turned out to be. However, it was midday before any trace of him was found. As Mulder searched, his ears caught a faint mewing sound. He yelled for Walter and followed the whispered sound to a shed. Shining one of the precious 

flashlights into the darkness, they saw a board cover dangling over a hole. The shed had been an old covered well house and Alex must have forgotten how dangerous the long abandoned place could be. 

 

Green eyes like those of a cat looked up at them from the bottom of the well.

 

Fortunately, Alex had suffered no worse than a few bruises and a sprained ankle. However his eyes were red from weeping and he could barely speak from his distress.

 

As Mulder and Walter carried him to his bed, Alex said, "You don't have to leave. I can find another place. I meant for you to find your way... that's why I left that map at the Gunmen's. This place is safe. You can bring others here and create almost an Eden for the human race. I'll be okay. I know other enclaves where they can use my skills."

 

With one accord, Walter and Mulder looked at each other before saying in unison, "Shut up, Alex. You're staying. We're staying."

 

 

"However," Mulder said, carefully pulling Alex over his knees. "You should be punished for hiding your identity."

 

Smoothing his hand over Alex's flawless ass, Mulder pinched a velvet soft cheek and said, "You know the color of Rudolph's nose?"

 

"Yeah," Alex said.

 

"Well, your ass is going to match," Mulder said, ending his sentence with a thwack. "Didn't I tell you I would do this if you ever left me or lied to me again? And you did both."

 

As firm yet soft as the finest mattress and twice as good to lie upon, Alex's bottom at first was the delicate pink of the daintiest rose bud.

 

Five swats later, the skin was showing all shades of red. Mulder spanked harder until heat seemed to glow from the abused flesh.

 

"Walter, your turn," Mulder said, passing over their tearful lover."

 

Walter accepted the responsibility as Mulder said "Only if you can give all that anger away, Walter."

 

Like a pact, Walter put his hand over Mulder's and said, "I can. I love Laidebete as much as I hated Alex. He'll always be Laidebete to me, but I'll forgive Alex if he can forgive me."

 

"I love you," Alex said, "I love you both. I always wanted you, Walter. Laidebete gave me a way to have you. I didn't think you would care about him."

 

"Well, wrong again, Alex," Walter said. "I cared about him very much and I think that the man I love is the real thing at last."

 

"This hurts me almost as much as it hurts you," Walter said, swatting Alex's already burning cheeks. He could feel the fiery heat rising from the flesh and was concerned, but he knew that Alex needed this absolution. He added his blows until Alex was too weary to do more than sob wearily.

 

Then exhausted from the sleepless night and most of the day spent in frantic search, the three men shared one bed for that night. And, in truth, they never slept apart again.

 

So a surly AD and a brilliant agent found true love and happiness with a beauty who masqueraded as a beast.

 

The End


End file.
